Reyona woke up the next day without the headache that had been her constant companion. Nor did she feel the panic of helplessness that had been accompanying her since she woke up. Every time she slept and woke up, she had this feeling that was akin to a panic attack as she tried to figure out where she was and how she had gotten there. Slowly, it would pass, but it was always there. But the day after the lawyer came, she did not feel the helplessness of her loss of memory as acutely as she had been feeling it earlier. Reyona felt a slight weight at her side and she smiled as she turned her head gingerly to that side. Toria was sleeping as Toria slept. One of her legs was on the side of the bed, while her head was close to Reyona’s stomach and her arms were spread out over the bed. How she had managed to get into that position on the huge bed was beyond Reyona. She was amazed that her sister had somehow steered clear of her injured legs, even in sleep. Sleeping with Toria mean
They tried their best to stop her but Reyona was determined to go.Realizing that her ploy to keep her from going didn’t work, Toria said, “Only on one condition.”“What condition?” Reyona asked.“I am coming with you,” Toria declared as if she were expecting a protest from Reyona.Reyona smiled and said, “Yes, I have no problem with that.” Then, to butter her up, she said, “Who else will I go with if not my favourite sister?”“I am your only sister!” Toria said while trying to suppress her smile. “And you are being impossible. You should stay in that bed!”Maxwell also had his own condition to add. Or a request, as he called it.Andrea had to do a check on her and give her the green light, that she could move about without endangering the recovery of her legs.Reyona baulked at that since she knew he had the doctor in his pocket.What if he told the doctor to tell her what would be in his favour?But her parents immediately agreed with that, and they declared that they would only let
Old memories mingled with the present as Reyona looked at the gaping maw that used to be her lovely home.Memories of the first time she had been here.Memories of the person she had been there with.Memories of how it seemed like her life was working according to plans then.Yet here she was.Unable to stand on her own, divorced, and practically homeless.The fire seemed to have gotten most of the building and only a little of the original structure could be seen standing while new attachments were already constructed to even out what must have been charred remains a week ago.“We can leave now if you want.” Maxwell’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.For once, she did not feel annoyance towards him.She felt a kindred spirit.As if he was not just doing all he was doing out of pity.It was almost as if he could understand how she felt.Like he cared.“No, I…can we…can I check it out? I need to see how far things have gone on the inside and...“Rey,” Toria called in a warning.Ma
Maxwell’s sudden question, “Leah is dead?” gave him away.“You know the kid?” Reyona asked immediately.When he said nothing, she looked from him to Toria. “He knew her, right?” she asked with conviction in her tone.“Rey, let’s just go back, okay? Someone would handle these kids. It doesn’t have to be you.”“What are you two keeping from me?” Reyona asked suddenly."Nothing,” Toria said immediately.Reyona turned to look at Maxwell.The determination in her eyes was enough to let him know she wouldn’t take no for an answer.“I know the kid,” he answered.“And?” Reyona prompted.He gave her an inquiring look.“What else are you not telling me?”“Nothing of importance,” Maxwell responded.Reyona wanted to press further, but the girl’s earlier statement was of more importance than whatever he and Toria must keep to themselves.To Allysyn, she said, “Calm down, okay? I will find out the truth.” Her last statement was meant for the children and the adults who were treating her like she wa
It didn’t take long for Reyona and the others to realise that the kids had heard right after all.Reyona’s mother-in-law and her granddaughter had died most bizarrely.Even though Reyona couldn’t remember the young girl, she was still pained that a life that young was cut short by sickness.Despite having a feeling that Ruth had a hand in her son’s deception, Reyona couldn’t help but feel grief about the death of the woman she was once close to.Reyona’s parents were not staying in Kayooma.They both are based far from the city with their families.Reyona had chosen Kayooma for her business and had eventually settled down there with Thomas, so most of the time, Ruth had been the maternal figure she had had around.They used to be so close before things cooled between them.Now that Reyona thinks back on it, Ruth was the one who stopped their once-in-two-week get-together.She had stopped showing up and continuously giving excuses until Reyona started getting more busy at work, and the
Reyona declined her parents’ offer to take her to either of their homes.When they both agreed that she had undergone too much trauma in Kayooma recently and she needed a break from the city, she reminded them that Kayooma was where she had built her life in the past years.“The fact that one aspect of my life didn’t work doesn't mean I should abandon everything. I have a company here. It won’t run itself,” she said with determination.Her parents were a bit worried about the flippant tone with which she was talking about everything.So Gladys asked her. “Are you able to remember other things now? I mean, did your mother-in-law's death trigger anything?” they asked her.“Apart from reminding me that none of us have much time on her hands to sit around and mope about our losses, no, I still can’t remember anything about the past few years. I need to find a hotel.”That led to another protest, and her parents argued that living in a hotel with her condition was not the best option.“I w
“I knew I was going to regret this,” Carlisle grumbled as he readjusted Reyona again while she strained to open the door with the self-fashioned lockpick.She ignored him and focused on her task.It had been easy years ago when she had to watch how to do it online when she lost the key to her dorm room.She could still remember how she did it, but there must be something she was doing wrong.The door didn’t budge.So, she tried again.Gladys returned to sit in the car after declaring that she couldn't recognise Reyona."The Reyona that I know wouldn't even think of such a thing," she muttered before closing the door firmly behind her.Toria was the one on the lookout for whoever might be coming.She was taking her job seriously as she swung her head from side to side, even though there was no sound of any car approaching.Thankfully, the neighbourhood has their houses set so far apart that there was no neighbour to call the cops on them.Despite that, Toria declared, “Just so you know
The whirlwind energy with which Reyona did things in the following days was a thing of marvel to her family.Not just the pace at which she was getting everything done but the changes in her as well.Though her amnesia was still a thing of concern for them all, the change in her behaviour was even more surprising to them.Spontaneous actions were something that none of them could relate to Reyona before, but in the few days after they left Maxwell’s place, they could see that there had been a significant change in Reyona’s attitude.Formerly, Reyona planned everything down to the last detail and hardly gave room for any off-the-cuff actions, but they could see that that had somehow changed.For one, when Reyona was going through a file that her secretary had delivered to the house one day, Toria complained that she had been cooped up in the house since morning.She accused Reyona of her intention to bore her to death with paperwork, and she declared, “Let’s go shopping till we drop!”
Dear Reader, Thank you so much for following this journey from the beginning to this point. I appreciate your comments, votes, review and continuous reading. You are my real MVP. Reyona's story has come to an end here as she went on to live happily ever after while navigating the beauty and trials of life with the love of her life. But then Toria's story is just about to begin. What do you say to navigating Toria's new journey as she confronts her rollercoaster feelings for Andreas while dealing with the powerful Kanellis family and forces determined to keep them apart? Would you like to see if a headstrong, free-spirited lady like Toria can fit into the imperious and honourable family while she fights her demons? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Thank you for being here. Do check out my other books. I am Kabirat Aleem.
“.... I promise to love and cherish you for as long as we live and beyond. I will respect you and always remember that you are my partner before anyone else. I will put you and our family first in my decisions. You are mine in totality just as I am yours. Together we shall grow in loyalty, in abundance, in comradeship, in support and eternal love. I will forever be by your side in everything that comes our way on this journey of life….”“I, Maxwell Rohan, take you, Reyona Beatrice Dexter, as my lawfully wedded wife today in the presence of God and man, with the promise to cherish our vow until I breathe my last.”“I, Reyona Beatrice Dexter, take you, Maxwell Rohan, as my lawfully wedded husband today in the presence of God and man, with the promise to cherish our vow until the day I die.”As her sister and her husband completed the vows they had worked on themselves and slid the rings on each other's fingers, Toria tried hard to keep her tears at bay as the minister said, “You may kiss
The past month had been the most heart-filling one for Reyona.She watched as Allysyn lolled Sophie's bassinet while showing her something in the picture book she had in her hand.Meanwhile, Junior jiggled the rattle above Lucas to the delight of the baby and the hopping dog.An inexplicable bliss filled her at the thought that these belonged to her.These beautiful blessings that had been bestowed upon her when she least expected them were a solid part of her story.Reyona leaned back in her chair with a big smile on her face as she reached for her drink.“Rey, you are glowing. I mean, you are literally glowing. You should see your face right now. Hold on.”Toria quickly took a few snaps with her phone before turning the phone around to face Reyona.Reyona smiled as she looked at the pictures while sipping her mimosa.Although she couldn't see herself literally glowing as Toria had said, she loved what she saw.The woman in the picture looked…fulfilled.Long gone was the anxious, sad
Two Months Later“Does this mean we will have to call you Mum and Dad now?” Allysyn asked in a solemn tone.Reyona looked at Maxwell with a smile before responding to Allysyn.“It means we are forever your family now. It means we have got you forever. In as much as you do not forget that, what you call us doesn't matter.”Although she knew how beautiful it would be to hear them use those words.“I am Thomas Junior Rohan?” Junior asked with his head tilted after he pronounced what he had been using his hand to trail in spelling.“Do you like being Junior Rohan?” Reyona asked with a smile.He looked thoughtful for about ten seconds before saying, “I love it.” To Maxwell, he said, “Does this mean I get to drive your car now?”Reyona and Maxwell laughed as Allysyn rolled her eyes.Reyona sucked in her breath as the laughter waned.“Well, maybe in the future, if you've been very good, of course. But not yet.”“Aww,” Junior said with a pout. Then he brightened in the next second. “I will be
The call was from his head of security.Reyona listened to his terse response to the person on the call.Then, just as he took the turn towards his estate, she felt her phone buzz.She frowned as she saw that it was a message from Maxwell.“We have a guest,” it says.She looked at the back of his head as she wondered why he couldn't just say that directly instead of sending it as a message.She was about to ask him who it was when she looked beyond the windscreen and saw the police cruiser.Her heart kicked against her rib and she looked downwards to check if the even-breathing Allysyn had slept off or something.“Look, Max! The police!” Junior shouted excitedly as he pointed at the spot where the police officer was just turning away from the man he was speaking to, the head of security.Allysyn's lax body went taut as she jerked upward, looked in the direction that Junior was pointing at, and then back at Reyona.She had a mixture of fear, question and uncertainty in her face.Reyona
Reyona and Maxwell went together to take the kids from school that day.Despite their fears that some unrelenting reporters might have decided to call them about what happened or ambush them for an interview about what they felt about Thomas's death, nothing of such happened.The school was also free of any lurking reporters or paparazzi.It was either they had decided that Thomas's death was not as worthy of news as his scandal had been, or they were still jeering up to blast the family with all they got later.Whatever it was, they were glad as they waited in silence in front of the school for closing time.Soon enough, school was over for the day.Maxwell came out as the students came out en masse.Soon enough, they saw Allysyn and Junior.Junior was skipping alongside Allysyn while dragging his backpack along and shouting some words at a friend who was going towards another car parked close by.He was being his jovial self as he waved hard at the friend and asked him not to forget
Reyona's head jerked upward as she heard Maxwell's voice.Then she looked sideways when she heard a growling sound.Jerking his head from Reyona to Maxwell, Skippy's pupils had dilated so much that they almost covered his entire eyes.His growl continued as he looked confused about where he should escape.Reyona realised what was going on as she saw Maxwell standing at the entrance, blocking his escape route.He felt cornered!She realised as the dog backed away while his growl increased in pitch.“Maxwell, move,” she said urgently, and he automatically stepped aside.The dog hopped past him in a flash.The dog kept going without stopping at all.Maxwell shook his head and went to Reyona. “What was that about?” He asked in an incredulous voice.“We were building a friendship,” Reyona said with a pout.“That was friendship?” Maxwell asked in disbelief.“Well, we were about to. Then you…do you think they do therapy for dogs?” She asked in contemplation.Maxwell started chuckling, “Ah, a
The soothing sound of the water reminded Reyona of the brook that ran through their homes in Bellevue Hill.She felt completely blissful in the oasis that Maxwell had surprised her with.It was exactly a replica of the one in her home in Sydney.After their dinner that night, Reyona was still pretending to be miffed at him because he wouldn't tell her if he really was the one who donated to the orphanage she had opened in her grandmother's name.Then, as if he didn't notice, he told her to check out something.“I am still mad at you,” She had said as she folded her arms above her belly and gave him a mutinous look.“It is a good thing that you are a versatile woman then. You could be mad at me and still come check this out. You will be glad you did. I promise.” He said innocently.Then, just as Reyona pretended she had not made up her mind yet, he swept her off her feet.How can he still carry her so effortlessly? She wondered as she squealed “Maxwell!”That was the first time the pap
Reyona had no intention of having the wedding while she was still pregnant.“It is called ‘walk down the aisle’, not waddle down the aisle'. Thank you.”That had been her argument and everyone had agreed with her.Not after Toria had added that their dad could carry her.“Then it will be ‘float down the aisle'” she had said in jest.They all came to an agreement that the wedding preparations would start after she had given birth in about two months.They spent the night in the hotel, and they all visited The King’s Creek to pay obeisance to Grams before their parents’ and Toria's departure.Maxwell, Reyona and the kids will stay back in Boowag until the jet got back.Stefan and his co-pilot were to carry Gladys and Carlisle to their destinations before coming back for them.It would take Gladys home first, then make a stopover at Milan to drop Carlisle before coming back.Toria had a standby jet that had brought her to Boowag and Kayooma for the preparation of the surprise and all.Of